The Federal Government through the Rural Electrification Agency has donated 171 solar irrigation pumps to vegetable farmers in Lagos.
Mr Perter Okopie, Senior Manager, Rural Electrification Agency, South-West Zone, Osogbo, made the presentation on Friday to beneficiaries at the FADAMA coordination Office, Oko-Oba, Agege, on Friday in Lagos.
Okopie said that the Federal Government made the donations in order to reduce the cost of farming, production as well as reduce the farm gate price and in turn increase yields.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the solar irrigation pumps has a 24 volts motor with two 60 watts panel each and 1,000 Revolution per minute. The panel has 25 year life span if well maintained.
“We are here to see how we can reduce the cost of farming through irrigation for our farmers. A lot of farmers rely on fossil fuel to power their generators in order to irrigate their farms.
“But today, the price of the fossil fuel is too expensive, and you can see how expensive it is now in our country..
“We are trying to reduce it to zero, such that farmers use natural endowment and harness the natural endowment, which is the sunlight which is in abundant in nature.
“The donation is to farmers who cannot afford mechanised farming. Everything about irrigation is pumping of water and that is what we are doing today, to support them,” he said.
Okopie said that solar pump is one of the cheapest source of energy available and it was practically free and in abundance.
“We are here to present 171 solar irrigation pumps to farmers under the FADAMA of Ministry of Agriculture in Lagos,” he said.
Okopie noted that the pumps would be distributed to all the state of the federation adding that so far four states had been benefited.
He listed the states as Lagos, Ondo, Ekiti and Ogun.
“This is like a pilot project, this is first time we are energising the agriculture sector, we have been energising the education sector and some markets.
“So far, we have done four in the South-West in phase one and the Federal Government will soon commence the second phase,” he added.
Mr Ade Obayemi, Lagos State Project Coordinator of FADAMA, in his welcome address noted that programme was initiated to provide electricity for productive use and unlock economic potential and activities in rural and agrarian communities.
Obayemi said that the solar pumps would be distributed to 14 vegetable farmers’ association already identified in the state.
He added that the donations without doubt would support all year-round vegetable farming in Lagos state, reduce green house emission and healthy environment.
He noted that it would also increase productivity, income and food security.
“Today’s event is the outcome of several collaborative efforts of FADAMA through the National Fadama Coordination Office with various public and private institutions to scale up and sustain interventions to farmers and farming communities.
“On July 6, the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Fadama Development Project (NFDP) to collaborate on several activities during the planning and implementation of electrification programmes targeted at agriculture, land and water resources.
“Fadama had invested a lot in our communities through World Bank, Federal Government and state government support; this without doubt had translated to sustainable food production and increased income for our small farm holders and agricultural value chain actors.
“The Rural Electrification Agency (REA) is an implementation agency of the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN), under the Ministry of Power (FMP), primarily tasked improving electrification in unserved and underserved communities,” he said.
He added that the intervention was a viable support to the small-scale community owned infrastructure component, rehabilitation of surface water and construction of new small-scale and borehole schemes, as well as other groundwater irrigation and infrastructure support.
“REA is providing decentralised solar pumps to support our FADAMA irrigation schemes in Lagos state.
“ Today we are receiving 171 solar irrigation pumps for distribution to 14 community associations already identified.
“This support without doubt will support all year-round vegetable farming in Lagos state, reduce green house emission and healthy environment, make real time fresh produce available to farmers, increase productivity and income and ultimately food security,” he said.
Obayemi noted that Fadama had become a special purpose vehicle for agriculture and rural development in Nigeria and recently the Fadama structure was deployed to implement the food security leg of the Nigeria Covid-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES) Programe.
“Under the Lagos COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (LAGOS-CARES), we have supported 4,025 Individuals with agricultural inputs and assets and upgraded 20 wet markets with water and sanitary facilities.
“All these happened in the last three months and more to be delivered in the next few months.
“I implore our farmers and beneficiaries to make judicious use of the facilities and more support,” he said.